A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Devin Haney
What should we do when Haney is close, but unanimous decision to win than Vasiliy Lomachenko on Saturday in Las Vegas? On the one hand, he knocked out the still-sharp future Hall of Famer to keep his undisputed 135-pound weightlifting championship. And he did it by breaking the ring: He won 12lame pants round on all three cards, this prevents a draw. That is the biggest achievement in the career of the 24-year-old young player. He deserves credit. On the other hand, he was pushed to his limit by a 35-year-old man, who was inherently smaller than him and was said to be in decline going into the match. He launched heavier shots in the first half only to sink for long periods of time, as Lomachenko seemed to get stronger. The Ukrainian tennis player almost landed at will in Rounds 10 and 11, before Haney could take a decisive stance. It was a good performance by Haney against the opponent but he failed to show in the match that he was the best lightweight athlete, which he probably had hoped to do. It seems clear at this point that number 1 and number 2 are Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson, in whatever order you like. Good news for Haney? He’s still the champion. He has many good options in the future. And the experience gained in that fight will help grow as a warrior.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Vasiliy Lomachenko
Vasiliy Lomachenko loudly declared defeat. Sarah Stier / Getty Images
Lomachenko failed to fulfill his dream of becoming an undisputed champion. And at his age, one wonders if he will ever get another chance. That must have been devastating for him, especially since he clearly thinks he deserves to win the decision. He made a strong statement, though. His unanimous decision loss to Teofimo Lopez in 2020, subsequent shoulder surgery and time away from boxing to take part in his country’s fight with Russia made the former pound-for-king -pound of aging has almost become an afterthought. He proved on Saturday against one of the most talented young boxers that he remains a threat to anyone when he is healthy. As he said, “I think I showed that I can get into boxing.” Indeed, if in the past anyone hesitated to include him in the short list of elite lightweight athletes, now they cannot. The question is: Can he get another big chance? It can. Haney can gain up to 140 pounds, which will open up the title for him. Lomachenko will be among those likely to compete for the title. And both Davis and Stevenson need high-profile opponents. If they can’t get Haney, Lomachenko would be a great pick after his strong performance on Saturday. To be clear: Loma is back.
MOST OPTIONAL
haney
Shakur Stevenson is one of Devin Haney’s many potential enemies. Steve Marcus / Getty Images
Haney said he’s “done everything at 135” when explaining why this might be the right time for him to put on 140 pounds. Did he really get everything done? He will reign as the undisputed champion, defeating George Kambosos Jr. twice and overtake Lomachenko, which is very impressive. However, he will not face his two biggest threats arguably, Davis and Stevenson. If he goes up to 140 without fighting them, he will have a clear gap on his 135-pound resume. And make no mistake: Davis and Stevenson both want a fighting chance for all four major belts. Of course, Haney would be wise to go up to 140 if getting 135 became too difficult. There are great challenges waiting for him at that weight: June 10 match winner Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez, Regis Prograis, Subriel Matias, Jose Ramirez and others. The bottom line: Haney will have plenty of tempting options no matter what he decides to do.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Chantelle Cameron
Cameron’s history victory decides the majority beating the previously undefeated Katie Taylor in Taylor’s hometown comeback Saturday in Dublin, Ireland wasn’t a fluke: She won it. The undisputed 140-pound champion from England put pressure on the 135-pound champion from the opening bell until she raised her hand after 10 tough and exciting rounds. Cameron (18-0.8 KOs) is currently thought to be just below Claressa Shields in the pound-for-pound standings, which is a huge breakthrough for the talented 32-year-old. Taylor? First, thank her for taking on such a tough match in what should have been just a performance in her first professional game back home. She wants the milestone to be meaningful. And there’s no shame in losing to an excellent, naturally bigger opponent in an attempt to be “undisputed” in a different weight class. She did a great job of timing her tough opponent with quick, precise punches only to briefly lead the scores, 96-94, 96-94 and 95-95. The defeat left Shields alone at the top but no one was able to eliminate Taylor (22-1, 6 KOs). She’s proven that she’s still an elite boxer at 36. Clearly she has a lot to offer.
TRIAL DOLL
It’s not unreasonable for Haney to get a nod to Lomachenko in a tit-for-tat match. I give it a score of 114-114 but a score of 115-113 – the scores of the two judges – is acceptable either way. The only problem I have with the scoring is the veteran referee by Dave Moretti Card. He had it 116-112 for Haney, which I think is too broad but not outrageous. Confusingly, he gave Haney five of the last six innings, when Lomachenko was at his best. I couldn’t even imagine what Moretti had seen. … A new Japanese star has appeared. Junto Nakatani (25-0, 19 KOs) gave a eye-opening performance on the Haney-Lomachenko card, put Andrew Moloney (25-3, 16 KOs) three times knocked him out and stopped him with the most brutal punch you’ll ever see to win the vacant 115-pound title. Nakatani couldn’t have made a stronger statement. like of Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez And Bam Rodriguez officially announced. … Former owner of two divisions Oscar Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) looks sharp in his comeback fight against capable but light punchers Adam López (16-5, 6 KOs) on Haney-Lomachenko, winning the broad decision to assert himself as the 135-pound legitimate opponent. Valdez spent his worst night as a professional athlete, a heavy loss to Stevenson that cost him the 130-pound belt.
